Greater Manchester’s police and crime commissioner Tony Lloyd says hate crime is best tackled when police and communities work together.
Mr Lloyd was speaking out following the publication the Anti-Semitic Incidents Report, published annually by the Community Security Trust (CST), which looks at hate crime directed towards the Jewish community in the UK.
This year’s findings show the number of reported incidents in Greater Manchester remains stable, with just two more than last year which had represented a significant drop in relation to the national average.
Mr Lloyd said: “The close cooperation between the CST and Greater Manchester Police sets the UK standard in terms of building community confidence to come forward to report hate crime.
“It’s really important that victims of hate crime believe police when they say they take hate crime seriously and that’s what’s happening in Greater Manchester.”
A prime example of joined-up working is the ‘incident exchange programme’ that operates in Greater Manchester and London, whereby police and the CST systematically share information about hate crime.
But despite positive efforts to eradicate hatred in our communities, Mr Lloyd was quick to acknowledge that it still persists, and warned against complacency:
He said: “The CST has outlined some shocking incidents of hatred here in Greater Manchester. Hate crime is a scourge on our society and we must all take a stand against it.
“The idea that 11-year-old children throw stones at passers-by while shouting anti-Semitic abuse here in Greater Manchester is chilling and shows why we need to continue to work together to build a tolerant society.”
